Burlington goalie on Canadian deaf hockey team at worlds

Burlington goalie on Canadian deaf hockey team at worlds

Matthew Weatherdon will represent Canada as a member of the national team at the World Deaf Hockey Championships in Finland this spring.

The lifelong Burlington resident is rebounding nicely from a couple of setbacks.

The latest came two years ago when he was playing midget AA hockey with the Burlington Eagles. In February of 2011, he sliced open his knee during practice and needed 10 staples to keep his kneecap in place. He returned just in time for rep tryouts but was a step behind others.

He was left without a team to play for during his Grade 12 school year.

Long before that, Weatherdon started losing his hearing; his parents first noticing a problem in elementary school while he attended Pineland, then Charles R. Beaudoin public schools. While doctors are still unsure about what is causing the problem, hearing aids have helped Weatherdon live a rather normal lifestyle.

One of two goaltenders to head to Finland on the Canadian team, Weatherdon earned the trip after attending tryouts in August in Toronto. Weatherdon was invited after helping the Ontario/Quebec team win the hockey championship at the Canadian Deaf Games in Edmonton last May, a tournament that also featured hockey teams representing B.C., Alberta and Manitoba.

The world deaf hockey championships are scheduled for Vantaa, Finland March 30-April 6.

He started playing in net as a house leaguer, intrigued by the thought of being the last line of defence.

“It was different and you have the ability to control the game and change the momentum at any time,” he said. “When I told my dad I wanted to play in goal he was a bit in shock.”

Despite the effectiveness of his hearing aids, which he’s allowed to wear in Jr. B hockey, Weatherdon doesn’t use them.

“That’s just because of the sweat and the moisture,” he said. “I can still hear the whistles, though. For me it’s almost a good thing. I can focus more because it cancels a lot of the noise on the ice.”

When competing on a deaf team, lights encircling the rink flash when a whistle is blown to signal a stoppage to aid players who can’t hear the whistle. There is no such advantage in Jr. B play.

Weatherdon, who turned 19 on New Years Day, graduated from Nelson High School last spring, and now attends Carleton University, taking business courses while playing Jr. B hockey for the Ottawa Canadians.

The Canadians are one of 25 teams playing in the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League. They’re currently fighting for second place with a .690 winning percentage in the Metro Division.

Sport/business career a goal

Weatherdon, who backs up starter Matt Couvrette and is 4-2 in seven appearances at the Christmas break, took French Immersion throughout his school life. A couple of the players on his team are from Quebec and welcome Weatherdon’s help communicating and learning to hone their English skills.

“Being bilingual is definitely a help, especially in Ottawa,” he said.

He doesn’t know where his future is headed on the ice, but he’d like to be associated with hockey when he enters the workforce.

“Taking business at Carleton,” he said, “opens up so many doors if I want to be a player agent or work in sports marketing.”